Toby and the Stout Gentleman
Toby and the Stout Gentleman, retitled 'Toby the Tram Engine'in American releases, is the twenty-first episode of the first season. In the US, this episode aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Ring in the Old and How the Station Got Its Name. Plot A tram engine named Toby lives and works on his own little railway. He has cowcatchers and sideplates to help prevent accidents, causing him to look quite unlike a steam engine. He has his own coach called Henrietta, who always rides along with him. Sadly, Toby and Henrietta have both seen better days and the amount of passengers and trucks they carry have been reducing due to the increase of roads. The passengers would rather travel by bus, while companies send their cargo by lorry. One day a stout gentleman, his wife, and two grandchildren visit the railway while on holiday. The two children note that Toby looks unusual for an engine and the gentleman tells them that he is a tram engine. After accidentally offending Toby by thinking he was electric, the two children want a ride. The gentleman agrees and the whole family take a ride in Henrietta, who could not be happier to have passengers again. Afterwards, the gentleman speaks to Toby and thanks him for a lovely journey. Toby notes to himself that the gentleman knows how to speak to engines. The family returns everyday for two weeks for rides with Toby, sometimes riding with the guard or sometimes inside empty trucks. On the last day, they ride with Toby's crew in his cab. Everyone is sorry when the family has to leave and Toby asks them to come back some day; the family promises. As the months pass, Toby finds himself carrying even fewer passengers and goods. Soon the inevitable happens and Toby's controller decides to shut the line down much to Toby's grief. Later that day, a lot of people come out for the chance at a last ride on Toby and fill up Henrietta. Although the passengers treat the occasion like a celebration, Toby and his driver know it's anything but. Afterwards, the passengers wish Toby a sad goodbye and he returns to his shed, falling asleep feeling lonely and unwanted. The next morning, Toby is woken by his excited crew, who has just received some very good news; an important letter from the stout gentleman. Characters *Sir Topham Hatt *Stephen Hatt *Bridget Hatt *Toby (debut) *Henrietta (debut) *Lady Hatt (not named; does not speak) *The Storyteller (cameo) Locations *Arlesdale End *Lower Arlesburgh *The Windmill *Arlesdale Lake and Mountains Line *Arlesdale Castle Gallery TobyandtheStoutGentlemantitlecard2.png|1985 UK title card TobyAndTheStoutGentlemanUKRemasteredtitlecard.jpg|Restored UK title card TobyTheTramEngineOriginalUStitlecard.jpg|1990 US Title Card TobyTheTramEngine1993UStitlecard.png|1993 US Title Card TobyTheTramEnginetitlecard.png|1998 US title card TobytheTramEngineUStitlecard.png|Remastered US title card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanWelshtitlecard.png|Welsh title card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanSpanishTitleCard.jpg|Spanish Title Card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanKoreantitlecard.jpg|Korean title card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanItalianTitleCard.png|Italian Title Card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanSlovenianTitleCard.png|Slovenian Title Card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanFinnishTitleCard.png|Finnish title card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanGermanTitleCard.png|German Title Card TobyandtheStoutGentlemanJapaneseTitleCard.png|Japanese title card Category:Season 1 episodes Category:Thomas and Friends episodes Category:1984 television episodes Category:1980s television episodes Category:Episodes Category:Films, TV Shows And Wildlife Wiki Category:All At Sea And Other Thomas Stories (1993, US) Category:All At Sea And Other Thomas Stories (October 6, 1993) Full Category:The Diseasel (1998, US) Category:The Diseasel (June 16, 1998) Full Category:Stepney Gets Lost And Other Thomas Adventures (2000, US) Category:Stepney Gets Lost And Other Thomas Adventures (February 29, 2000) Full Category:Best Of Toby (2006, US) Category:Best Of Toby (September 12, 2006) Full Category:Sir Topham Hatt's Best Adventures (2008, US) Category:Sir Topham Hatt's Best Adventures (January 29, 2008) Full